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An accomplished guitarist with a wealth of sideman credits (Wayne Shorter, Steve Coleman & the Five Elements, Trilok Gurtu, Christian McBride, Don Byron), Gilmore brings his precision chops to thoughtful compositions that segue between swinging jazz and hard-hitting fusion while hinting at world music on his fourth outing as a leader. Accompanied by some of New York’s finest young players (saxophonist Marcus Strickland, pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Ben Williams, drummer Antonio Sanchez), Gilmore and his crew navigate the intricate, serpentine lines of challenging tunes like the urgent, odd-metered “Rajas Guna” and the surging title track with masterful aplomb while blowing authoritative, searing solos. Talking drummer Kofo Wanda adds a distinctively African touch on the 12/8 section of “Dance of Duality,” a suite-like number which carries some of Shorter’s influence, and that link is further established on a cover of Shorter’s “Over Shadow Hill Way.” The elegant “Sacred Pause,” with Strickland on soprano sax, is the lone lyrical jazz ballad on this searing collection while the swinging “Awakening” reveals Gilmore’s straight- ahead pedigree. “Trick of I” shifts from a South Indian Carnatic music to an elegant jazz waltz, and the serene acoustic guitar number “Revelations” provides a cleansing breath from the fusillades.
By Bill Milkowski
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